In 2012, when Vince Herman announced he was moving out of Colorado to live in Oregon, he said his relocation wouldn't change his membership in the two popular local bands he fronted, Leftover Salmon and Great American Taxi.

As it turned out, his relationship with Taxi didn't survive, according to a recent band announcement.

Herman was one of the most recognizable music personalities in Colorado, so Taxi fans might wonder about the band's future. But the bad news about Herman was followed by some good news — Taxi has hired Taylor Sims to take over as the band's frontman.

Taylor Sims believes he can balance his schedule between Great American Taxi and Bonnie & The Clydes. (Courtesy photo)

Sims, a Texas native who lives in Longmont, first made his name in Colorado as a member of Spring Creek, a bluegrass quartet that in 2007 became the only group to win the band competitions at the Telluride and RockyGrass bluegrass festivals in the same year. Spring Creek broke up in 2012, and Sims has since performed in the country band Bonnie & The Clydes, which is led by his wife, Bonnie Sims.

Taylor Sims has known the other members of Great American Taxi for several years, and they invited him to jam in October.

"It was less like an audition than, 'Come and let's jam a bit, throw some songs around and see how it feels,' " Sims said.

Things apparently went great.

Sims went into the studio with the band the following month and began working on an album that Sims said Taxi is hoping to release later this year. It will include Sims-written songs such as the catchy "Hold On Me."

He said his role isn't to fill Herman's shoes but to take over some of his former duties.

"(My job is) not to replace him — he's pretty irreplaceable — but to fill that role of lead singer and carry some of the frontman role," Sims said. He added, though, that the band's sound will inevitably change, probably moving away from some of its former jamband tendencies in favor of a heavier roots-rock, song-based approach.

Sims doesn't expect his new gig to interfere with his work in Bonnie & The Clydes. Great American Taxi plays about 50 dates a year, and Sims believes he can make the two bands' schedules mesh. Also, he hopes the connections and exposure that come from playing with GAT might even carry over to help Bonnie & The Clydes.

The next GAT show in the area is scheduled for March 14 at Cervantes' Masterpiece, in Denver. The band plans to head out on tour later that month.

"I love playing music with them," Sims said. "They're all tremendnous musicians and cool guys."

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